His war time service highlights included becoming the first
Squadron Leader of an Allied jet air wing (RAF 616 squadron) to
operate over enemy territory, first Allied pilot to land in France
after D-Day, the first Australian to shoot down a jet (Me
262) in combat and becoming the first Australian jet fighter
pilot flying the Gloster Meteor during the closing stages
of the war. His Me 262 victory also resulted in Tony Gaze being
awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross for the third time and as such become the only
Australian during World War II to have achieved such an honour. He
escaped from occupied France with the help of the French Resistance
after being shot down in combat. He ended the war as one of
Australia's greatest aces, achieving 12.5 victories all while
flying his favourite mount the Supermarine Spitfire. During the
war he had also flown with some of the most famous names including
Wing Commander Douglas Bader, highest allied European
war Ace Johnnie
Johnson (Spitfire Ace with 38 victories) as part of the RAF's
famous Tangmere Wing and Paul Tibbets (pilot of the 'Enola Gay', B29 Bomber) who
dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

After the war Tony Gaze became Australia's first official
formula one driver by competing in the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix. His
racing career that saw him competing in Europe, Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa in open wheelers and sports cars. Early in
1955 Tony helped to established Australia’s first all Australian
overseas racing team called ‘The Kangaroo Stable’ that included
racing drivers such as Jack Brabham, Tom Sulman, David McKay, Les
Cosh and Dick Cobden but after the tragic 1955 Le Mans race sports
car racing in Europe dried up leading to the Stable disbanding
later that year. He also helped establish the Goodwood
motor racing circuit in 1948 by suggesting it as a potential
replacement for Brooklands to the then Duke of
Richmond. Today the Goodwood circuit is again a premier track
as it stages the annual 'Festival of Speed' and 'Goodwood
Revival' meetings. Later he helped with the development of
Australian motorsport and represented Australia in the 1960 World Gliding Championships
in Germany. Tony Gaze was awarded the Medal of the Order of
Australia in the 2006 New Year's Honours List for 'service to the
sport of motor racing'.

Tony Gaze is also the son of Irvine Gaze, expedition member of the
incredible 1914 'Ross Sea Party', a forgotten group of men trapped
in the Antarctic, who's job it was to lay supplies for Shackleton’s
aborted crossing. It was to set a new record to be the first to
cross the Antarctic from one side to the other which however ended
in disaster. After his return, Irvine later served as a fighter
pilot in the RAF towards the concluding stages of WW1.